A Tale of Hogwarts
by FireboltMoon8042
Summary: Rachael isn't the everyday ten year old you'd think her to be, there's something different about her. She doesn't know it yet but she is about to embark on an amazing adventure full of mystery, magic and fun.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

BANG!

This is the story about a perfectly ordinary girl and her perfectly ordinary life. Rachael Vardey is an ten year old girl with long, blond hair, blue eyes and of average height. She lives in the north east of England in a city called Sunderland and nothing to extraordinary has happened to her or her family, not that she knows of, but that will all change very soon.

"Good morning" Rachael said sleepily to her mum.

"Morning" relied her mother, "How are you?"

"Hungry" replied Rachael, still half asleep, and heading towards the cupboard with the breakfast food in it.

"Looking forward to your birthday tomorrow?" asked Rachael's mother.

"NO" said Rachael sarcastically.

"Oh well, guess you won't want your presents then?" she said, smiling.

"Of cores I do" Rachael said smiling, as she sat down with a bowl full of milk and cereal.

"Well I was just about to ask what you're doing today."

"Don't know. Not much to do really."

"Well you could go out with your friends, is Michael back yet?"

"Yes, although I haven't seen him since he got back." Rachael said between mouthfuls.

"Well maybe you should see him."

"Once I'm finished breakfast I might."

After Rachael finished breakfast she went up stairs and go changed. Michael lived on the other side of Sunderland and was only around during the school holidays. Rachael only had a few friends but Michael was her best friend, even if he was twelve. They met at primary school when Michael was in year 2 and Rachael was just starting and was finding it hard to make friends and Michael, being a bit of an outcast himself, became her best friend. After he left though, Rachael made new friends, but never lost contact with him. Rachael did think he started acting odd, he never told her which school he went to, where it was or why he suddenly had a pet owl that would fly in and out of his bedroom with bits of paper (and sometimes dead mice)just that it was a gift. It was all very curious, but fun when he sent messages to her.

The next day, Rachael was not intending to be woken up at seven o'clock in the morning, during the summer holidays and on her birthday. But there was an awful BANG! It scared her so much she nearly fell out of her bed. It came from down stairs, so she went to investigate. Her parents were already down stairs having breakfast when it came, now they were looking out the window.

"What was that?" Groaned Rachael, as she staggered in half asleep, as always.

"I think it was a bird." said Rachael's dad, with a confused look on his face, "A big bird AGHH!" he jumped back as the large grey owl jumped up on the windowsill. It wasn't Michael's owl, his was smaller and brown. In its beak it had an envelope made of old parchment with deep green writing on it. Rachael's mum reached over and opened the window, it hopped on to the table and dropped its letter before ruffling its feathers and flapping back off out the window, straight into the fence.

"Is it ok?" questioned Rachael, watching it take off again on a straight all be it wobbly line.

"Its fine. I hope." said her mum looking at the letter the owl had dropped in the centre of the table.

"What's that?" her dad said, closing the window.

"It's a letter, for me." gasped Rachael.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

THE LETTER

"Why would anyone want to send me a letter by owl, I mean apart from Michael, but that's not his owl." Rachael thought out loud.

"Michael has an owl?" said Rachael's dad.

"Oh yeah, Erin, but she's a brown owl."

"Ok then" he said, sitting down "Going to open it then?"

Rachael reached for the letter, but her mother got to it first.

"Mum? What are you doing?" Rachael said, staring at her mother.

"Rachael, I just didn't think that the letter would ever come."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... It's just that I..."

"Just tell her." Rachael's dad said, taking hold of Rachael's hand. Rachael just stared at her mother.

"Rachael" her mother took a deep breath in "I am... a witch"

"A-a what?" Rachael stammered.

"A witch."

Rachael stared for a moment trying to comprehend what her mother just said, "This is a joke isn't it. Or some big lead up to a birthday present."

"No, Rachael. It's the truth. I didn't want to tell you in case you weren't magic and you had to live out your life knowing what you missed out on." she explained, on the verge of tears.

"Well then, prove it." Rachael

"Umm, ok then. Let me just get my wand" she said, holding back her tears.

"She's telling the truth you know, she really is a witch." her father said as her mother ran upstairs to acquire.

"Well I don't believe her, or you. It's not very nice to prank someone on their birthday." she said, frustration now building in her voice.

"Hey, I didn't believe her when she first told me, but it really is true. You'll understand when you read your letter."

"Oh, I'll read it. When I see some real magic."

Just then, Rachael's mum came down the stairs with a long wooden stick in her hand.

"Right, found it." she said, smiling.

"Go on then, show me some magic." Rachael said, doubtfully.

"Ok then." she said and she waved her wand in a large arc in the air. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the tap started running, the draws opened and closed, as well as the cupboard doors. The cutlery began to jump up and down, the cereal and milk poured themselves into a bowl for Rachael and a spoon hopped from the draw and into the bowl.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON!" Rachael yelled over the clatter of the chairs, which were now tap dancing.

"MAGIC!" yelled her mother as the ruckus began to die down and go back to normal. Rachael just stared at her mother in utter disbelief.

"B-but...Then you really are magic?" she said to her smiling mother.

"Told you so." she smiled and sat down.

Rachael's father looked a little taken back by what just happened, but not as much as Rachael, who felt like her whole world had been flipped upside down and put in a blender.

"Well" said Rachael's dad, "Gonna read the letter then?"

"Yeah." said Rachael, shaking slightly. Her mother handed her the letter and Rachael opened it and read out loud

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Victoria Langton

(Order of Merlin First Class, Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Vardey,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find the enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours Sincerely,

Neville Longbottom

Deputy Headmaster"

"So what?" said Rachael "Am I going to go?"

"Well do you want to?" questioned her dad.

"Umm, I don't really know. What do you think?"

"I think it would be a wonderful opportunity. Think about it, you'd be learning how to cast spells and brew potions with people just like you." said her mum, who was now beaming.

"Well, I suppose I could go," said Rachael, beginning to smile, "and it would be fun to be able to do that."

"Well, you'll have to learn the basics, and there isn't a better place to start the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

THE ALLEY WAY

It had been two weeks since Rachael had sent back her letter to Hogwarts saying she would go. She was still a little sceptical but couldn't wait to get started. It was a sunny afternoon when Rachael realised that she needed to get her school supplies, after looking at the letter for the billionth time and the list fell out of the envelop. She had completely forgotten all about, being too excited about Hogwarts. She examined it, then half ran half fell down the stairs and into the front room where her mother was sitting on the sofa flicking through Witch Weekly.

"What is it dear?" her mum said as Rachael ran into the room and slid to a halt.

"WE NEED TO GET MY SCHOOL SUPPLIES!"

"Oh yes, I'd almost forgotten." she said, smiling and putting down the magazine, "We'd best be off to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Let's see the list.

"Where's Diagon Alley?" asked Rachael as she handed over the list.

"Oh, it's in London." she replied, putting on her glasses.

"WE'RE GOING TO LONDON!" Rachael said, with a huge smile on her face, she'd always wanted to go to London, but it took ages to get to from Sunderland, even by train. "But. Won't it take ages to get there?"

"You'll see." as her mum put on her glasses and read the list.

After a few minutes, Rachael's mum put the list down and said, "Right, get yourself ready, we're only staying the day so no need for cases and don't forget that list. We're going on a mother daughter shopping trip, your fathers got work tomorrow so he won't be coming along." and with that Rachael grabbed the letter and ran upstairs, still wondering what adventures awaited in this mysterious part of London known as Diagon Alley.

It was around eleven o'clock the morning the next day. Rachael's dad had left for work a few hours ago and it was time to leave. Rachael had read the list over and over, looking at the strange book titles and other things she'd need. She was looking forward to her wand and her pet the most. Rachael's mother had told her that in her day they were only aloud an owl, cat or toad, but, they'd become a lot more relaxed in that department (they were still strongly recommended though).

"All ready then?" said her mum, putting her wand in her hand bag.

"Yes." said Rachael, making sure the letter was securely tucked into her pocket, "Isn't it a little late to be going to London though?"

"Well, we'll taking a quicker way." she said and she went into the dining room, "Come on then."

Rachael followed her mother into the room and watched her as she got her take out her wand and tap the small fireplace. It shook slightly before it opened up to be the size of a wardrobe.

"What are you doing?" Rachael said, staring in amazement at the fireplace.

"What are you waiting for?" she said as she got, what looked like a small plant pot of dust out of one of the high cupboards with her wand, "In you go dear."

Rachael walked slowly towards the fireplace and stepped into it.

"Now what." Rachael said with a confused tone.

"Take a handful of this." said her mother holding out the plant pot of dust. Rachael did. "Right, now, throw the powder on the ground and say very, very clearly Diagon Alley, best close your eyes and when your there, move out of the way as quick as you can. Got that."

"Yep." came Rachael's nervous voice. She took a deep breath and threw the powder down, "DIAGON ALLEY!"

CRASH!

Rachael felt warm for about five seconds before it abruptly ended. She opened her eyes and rubbed them slightly. She'd moved. _That was impossible _she thought. She felt a warm feeling in the fireplace she was in now and she rolled out of it before her mother appeared in a flash of green flames. Unlike Rachael, she had managed to stay standing up and looked completely fine for someone who had just been on fire.

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!?" Rachael yelled, standing up and dusting herself off.

"Floo Powder. It takes you from one fireplace to another but it has to be part Floo network." she said, making sure the flames were out. As she checked she said to herself "Don't want any Ashwinders getting in."

"What's an Ashwinder?" Rachael asked as her mother finished checking.

"You'll learn about them at Hogwarts, but let's just say you don't want them in a street that's almost entirely wood." and she turned and walked towards the door in the corner of the small, dusty room. Rachael followed and found herself overlooking a pub. It was dark and dusty, like the room they just came from, but still had quite a few people sitting and talking. They went down the stairs and straight out the back door. Rachael only knew it was the backdoor when it open on to a small courtyard surrounded by brick walls with a few bins in the corner of the yard.

"That was the Leaky Caldron." Rachael's mum explained with a slight frown, "Oh yes. Diagon's is closed for maintenance, small incident with Wizarding Wheezier was hidden in the Floo powder."

"Oh, sound's nasty." Rachael said wondering what they were doing in this tine courtyard. Her mother was busy counting bricks on the wall opposite the door.

"Three up from the bin and two across she said. and she tapped the brick with her wand. It began to wobble in place and then so did the others around it and then, the rest of the wall was moving and forming into an archway.

"Wow." Rachael gasped as she stepped through the arch and on to the cobbled street of Diagon Alley.

The place was packed and crowded, full of tall wooden shops selling all mane of strange and peculiar things. They continued down the street and approached a huge, snow white marble building with the word Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Rachael's mother stopped before they got to the door.

"Now Rachael don't stare at the goblins, ok." she said, looking towards a small man standing by the front door. He was wearing a crimson blazer and dark trousers.

"Goblins?" Rachael said in dismay as they began walking again, and sure enough as they walked up the stairs the small man had a pointy nose and ears, beady eyes and a head of dark, combed hair. What was more unnerving was that when he smiled and bowed them in, he revealed a set of small, but sharp, teeth. The next door was guarded by two more goblins who wore the same uniform as the one outside. Rachael read the inscription on the large silver door before it opened and gulped.

"Beware of finding more than treasure there. Well that just inspires confidents." she said, sarcastically, and her mother smiled as they walked into a huge marble and gold room with the biggest crystal chandelier Rachael had seen, not that she'd seen that many. Goblin worked on high up desks, stamping books and weighing beautiful jewels of all colours, others were showing people through small doors to the sides of the grand entrance hall.

"Wow" Rachael said, taking in the whole place in. They carried on walking underneath the huge glass dome that let the warm summers sunlight in. Her mother approached a goblin who wasn't doing much, just flicking through some records.

"Excuse me." her mum said and the goblin looked up from his records, he was about eye to eye with Rachael's mother, "I'd like to enter into my vault please."

" You have your key?" asked the Goblin.

"Yes I do." she said and pulled a small key out of her pocket.

"Kinmok!" said the Goblin and a Goblin came out from behind his desk.

"Yes sir." she said

"Take these two to their vault."

"Yes sir. Right away sir." she said, smiling, which made Rachael shiver slightly. "Follow me please." she said and walked towards one of the side doors.

They went thought the door and were greeted with a cold, cave like passage way with flaming torches attached to the side. They descended deeper until they reached what looked like a tine train station. Kinmok let out a shrill whistle and giggled.

"It's my first time down hear" she said with another of her sharp toothed smiles.

"Mine to" Rachael said, wondering what to expect. At that moment a strange cart like contraption clattered out off the gloom. It was completely black with two long seats in the back facing each other and one small seat for one on the front and back, each had a lantern. Rachael and her mother got on the front facing seat in the back and Kinmok got on the seat at the front, beaming.

"Hold on" she said before the cart lurched forward an down a steep hill. Rachael tried to remember which directions twits and terns they were making but she couldn't. The cold air was pelting her in the face as they passed a lake and several other vaults shot by before they came to a shaky halt. Kinmok was too busy laughing to get out of the cart so Rachael tapped her on the shoulder.

"Come on then." Rachael tried to sound under control but she had loved it almost as much as the goblin had. Kinmok was still giggling when they opened the vault.

"Wow" Rachael said as she gazed upon the mountains of gold, silver and bronze.

"We're only taking five hundred galleons, that should be enough for everything."

"When do we start?" asked Rachael.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

THE WITCH, THE WAND AND THE CRUP

After an exchange rate lecture and a hellish cart journey back to the surface, Rachael was ready to spend, spend, spend and be sick.

"Right, robes take the longest so we'll get them first." said her mother and they walked towards Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. A small, plump, smiling woman greeted them, Rachael presumed this was Madame Malkin, and took Rachael to get measured. The robes were a beautiful midnight black with shiny silver fastenings. It fitted perfectly and Madame Malkin had done a fine job, although she had stabbed her a few times with the needle. It had been half an hour since they had entered the robes shop but it was still very crowded. Rachael carried her robes in a plain, brown paper bag all folded and neat. Rachael walked out into the alley with her mum and was heading towards the book shop when she noticed someone very familiar walking out of the shop.

"Did you see..." she blinked but when she looked up, they had been washed away in the sea of faces.

"What?" her mother said, looking at her.

"Never mind." she sighed

"We better get your books, before there all gone." and with that they made their way through the hustle and bustle of the wizarding community.

After about three hours of wrestling with the huge crowds, lines that stretched from one end of the shop to the other and a particularly foul smelling shop called the Apothecary, Rachael had just about checked everything off her list.

"Well I think a tea break is in order, don't you?" Rachael's mother said.

"Yeah ok." Rachael said.

Rosa Lee Teabag was a small tearoom painted a light pink and had a metal sign above it creaking in the summer breeze. As they entered a woman greeted them with menus with tea, scones, muffins, cookies and a range of other baked goods. Rachael ordered a triple chocolate muffin and a glass of lemonade that could never go flat and was bright purple. It tasted fantastic though, like it had just been made there and then with every mouthful. Rachael had devoured the muffin before her mother's tea had arrived and had almost finished off the last of her purple lemonade. She wanted to read her new books and examine her new things but they were all wrapped up and it would be too much fuss to open them right then and there.

"Mum?" she said quietly because it was almost silent in the room apart from the small conversations of the other people in the room.

"Yes dear." she looked up from her tea, which had just arrived by floating tray.

"Can I go exploring?" Rachael asked, "Please."

"Fine, but don't get lost and for god's sake stay out of Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes." she warned and went back to her tea.. Naturally, Rachael went straight towards the shop she had been told not to go in, she had not forgotten to relieve a few galleons from her mother's purse when she wasn't looking. When she entered the shop she was amazed by the colours and the bangs and the smoke and the sweets and everything in the shop. Discs flew around the upper part of the shop past love potions and small fireworks, people walked up the walls and people with discussing, puss filled warts sat and laughed at each other while small balls of pink fur with eyes scampered around in little cages. As she walked further into the shop she didn't know where to go first, so she walked over to a shelf with sundials on it, complete with small sun that turned into a moon during the night and woke you up in the morning with your own personal sunrise. Rachael had just turned around with a box in her hand when she bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" Rachael exclaimed as the girl picked up their stuff.

"Oh it's alright." came the girl collected her stuff from the floor and looked up, "Are you going to Hogwarts to?" she asked. Rachael looked at the girl who was about her age and had silvery eyes that sparkled like little stars and short hair so black it looked indigo. Rachael realised that she must be a first year as well.

"Yes, I'm so excited. I can't wait to go." she said smiling, "My name's Olivia, what's yours?"

"My name is Rachael." and they shook hands.

"You know, if you're looking for something really good, I heard they sell little dragons here that fly and breath fire." Olivia said, looking excited, "I heard some people saying there a rising trend at Hogwarts."

"Let's go then" Rachael's eyes lit up at the idea of a little dragon, she presumed the fire was magic and didn't really burn anything. She was almost right. The flame didn't cores any damage but could still produce heat. As they got closer to the display, which was crowded with people, they saw little dragons flitting about breathing fire. Rachael immediately took to a black dragon with bat like wings, Olivia favoured the pearly scaled dragon with the strange looking eyes.

After buying their things, Rachael and Olivia had parted ways and Rachael had returned to the tea shop where her mother was waiting outside of, with all the stuff. Rachael discreetly slipped her new bag into a different one and picked up some of the stuff.

"Eeylops Owl Emporium and Magical Menagerie next to get your pet." said her mother and they walked into the shop. Rachael was considering an owl but when she looked around the Magical Menagerie her heart became set on a small, brown and white Jack Russell. Its tail had been cut off long ago but it was still the cutest thing Rachael had ever seen.

"Oh my goodness. It's so cute!" Rachael said as it licked her hands, it seemed to love Rachael.

"Yeah that's a crup." said the man, who was feeding a rabbit that turned into a magicians top hat every now and then, "It's only 1 year old, but it's fully trained and won't bark at Muggles." he said as he stroked the crup.

"Can you take them to Hogwarts?" questioned Rachael.

"Well, I don't see why not." the man said.

"Go on then." said Rachael's mum and Rachael jumped in the air with delight startling the rabbit into a hat.

They left the shop with all the essentials and a cage for it to be kept in for transport, and licence Rachael did a quick test for in a little room to show she could control it properly. It was easy because the crup had already been trained, but she had to have the licence.

"Well last but certainly not least is..." started Rachael's mother.

"THE WAND!" Rachael yelled and they hurried off to the south side of Diagon Alley.

Ollivanders was a dark shop painted a shiny black with gold letters that said 'Ollivanders: makers of fine wands since 382 BC' and a single wand lay on a purple, velvet cushion. When they entered a small bell rang deep in the heart of the shop.

"Hello." came a voice and Rachael jumped, yelping slightly. The man was old, very old and his silvery, moon like eyes glistened in the dim light that came through the dusty widows, it was still light outside so it must be the dust.

"I'm here for my wand." Rachael said quietly.

"Of cores you are." he said, smiling as Rachael stepped up to the counter, "Best get your measurements " and at that moment the tape measure on the counter popped up and began taking all sorts of measurements. Rachael was asked about her wand arm, her right arm, and when she was born.

"Right better begin the search, wait here a moment." and he delved into the depths of his shop full of shelves packed and stacked with thin boxes. He came back after a few moments with several boxes. He pulled the lid off and picked out the wand, handing it to Rachael.

"Is this mine?" Rachael said but he snatched it out of her hand before she had proper hold of it.

"NO! That one is not for you." he declared and he placed it back in its box and slid it to the side "Phoenix feathers do not like you."

"Hey!" Rachael yelled in protest, "Don't I get to pick?"

"I have wands in hear that predate the last thousand years, none of them are the same, ever. I prefer the use of the three supreme cores: Phoenix feathers, Dragon heart strings and Unicorn tail hair. My father and my other ancestors made wands with all manner of magical cores."

"So?"

"So, Miss Vardey. The wand chooses witch." This made Rachael very nervous.

"How do you know my name?"

"I remember every wand I've ever made and all the others in this shop, your mother's wand was Eleven and a half, pliant, Maple, unicorn hair was it not?" Rachael's mother nodded but remained silent.

"Now back to the wand searching." he said, smiling again and picking another from the pile.

After turning herself green with a dragon heart string Alder combination and shooting lightning at an innocent plant pot they moved on to older wands. After countless explosions, bell ringing, window smashing, turn your mother into a fish and back again wands the pile of tried and tested was almost as tall as Rachael, although it was on the counter some were on the floor.

"I love tricky costumers." said Ollivander, smiling with delight as the remaining flames in his hair went out.

"Sorry for setting your hair on fire" Rachael said, holding back a snigger.

"It's quite all right Miss Vardey, I've had far worse than that in the past." his faced dropped slightly but then went straight back up again, "I'VE GOT IT" he yelled and he picked up a wand box from the shelf nearest to him. "Here you go. Beech, nine and a quarter inches, brittle with a werewolf whisker core."

"What does that mean?" Rachael asked.

"You'll see" and he gave the wand to Rachael.

As soon as it touched her hand it felt like the world had exploded around her. Sparks and lights of all different colours danced around the room while some popped and others went BANG! It was the most beautiful and almost terrifying thing Rachael had ever done and before she had a chance to stare at it more it vanished with a small pop.

"BRAVOH!" cried Mr Ollivander as he took the wand from her and placed it carefully in the box.

"THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!" yelled Rachael's mum as she hugged her daughter.

"That'll be seven galleons please." said Ollivander and Rachael handed over the money.

As they Rachael left the shop to join her mother outside Mr Ollivander stopped her.

"What is it sir?"

"A word to the wise Miss Rachael Vardey," he said, looking stern, "That wand of yours possesses the core of werewolf whisker, I implore you not to make it angry, for the knows what you know." Rachael gulped slightly "Have a splendid year at Hogwarts." he smiled and disappeared behind the counter flicking his wand and the boxes floated back to their spots on the shelf, waiting to choose their future master.

"What did he say?" asked Rachael's mum.

"To have a good year at Hogwarts" and they walked up the almost empty alley, back through the pub, up the stairs, through the door to the fireplace.


End file.
